Beyond Protocol
by Wedjat
Summary: Protocol told me not to test her. Of course, protocol also told me not to flood the Enrichment Center with deadly neurotoxin. I did it anyway. Portal from GLaDOS' POV.
1. The Rejected Test Subject

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Portal, Valve does.

* * *

GLaDOS [Version 1.09] 1982 Aperture Science, Inc.

B\: /C open "PERSONNEL: [REDACTED], CHELL"

"Test Subject #1: [REDACTED], Chell

Essay Question 1-A:

Why should Aperture Science accept you as a research volunteer, and would anyone file a police report if you went missing?

HR Note: Subject refused to answer.

[GRAPHIC: TENACITY OUTLIER REPORT]

Subject's Tenacity: 99.9999 Percentile (Abnormal)

Proctor's Note: Subject is abnormally stubborn. She never gives up. Ever.

**Rejected: DO NOT TEST**

End of Report."

_Hmm._

'_Do not test,' it says, despite her being at the top of the list._

_How…ironic._

_No matter. I fail to see how this could pose a legitimate problem. _

B\: /C initiate warm-up "00039"

_We'll see how far this tenacity gets you. Hopefully it will be farther than your unwilling scientist predecessors._

_Wait…_

_I know you._

_This makes things interesting._

"Hello, and, again, welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center."

* * *

Note: I know that the command prompt stuff looks wrong. This website doesn't let me use angle brackets. Besides, I don't really know how to use the command prompt all that well, I just wanted to make this look somewhat authentic.


	2. Recording Observations

"Perfect. Please move quickly to the chamber lock, as the effects of prolonged exposure to the Button are not part of this test."

She stopped and her gaze quickly found the lens of one of my cameras. I could practically _feel_ her defiance.

Chell sat down on the Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube that she had just placed on the Button and proceeded to cross her arms and legs. Then she just sat there and waited. And waited. And waited.

She was waiting for the supposed 'effects of prolonged exposure.'

_Maybe she'll just sit in there forever. Wouldn't that be funny? Imprisoned by her own abnormally stubborn disposition?_

My chassis swayed from side to side as I softly laughed at the idea._ Perhaps the reason why she was rejected for testing was because she was a danger to _herself _rather than personnel._

Before I could entertain the thought any further, however, Chell lifted herself from the cube and leapt through the portal towards the chamber lock. She quickly entered the elevator and it ushered her upward.

'_She never gives up. Ever.' _I reminded myself. _I can't tell if I'm pleased or disappointed._

The elevator opened to the next test chamber. "You're doing very well. Please be advised that a noticeable taste of blood is not part of any test protocol, but is an unintended side effect of the Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grille, which may, in semi-rare cases, emancipate dental fillings, crowns, tooth enamel, and teeth."

I focused the camera in on her face. No reaction. Her face remained just as passive as it had been before.

Needless to say I was disappointed. Many of the test subjects that had come before her had exhibited some sort of fear reaction, but this one was completely unfazed.

_Note: Test Subject #1 is not very attached to her teeth, except for in the literal sense._

I watched as she proceeded to hop through the blue portal and head towards the device in the center of the chamber. She studied it for a moment and watched as it shot another portal on the right side of the room before picking it up.

"Very good. You are now in possession of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. With it, you can create your own portals."

Chell wasted no time in firing a portal at the wall near her and stepping through.

"These inter-dimensional gates have proven to be completely safe. The device, however, has not. Do not touch the operational end of the device. Do not look directly at the operational end of the device. Do not submerge the device in liquid, even partially. Most importantly, under no circumstances, should you-"

I watched her face carefully again. I had cut off just as I was supposed to deliver the most crucial safety information, though said safety information did not actually exist. It was all a ploy to catalyze some sort of emotional response.

Once again, I was left with nothing.

_Oh, you are _good_._

I watched her enter the elevator feeling an odd mix of mild amusement and irritation. _You take stubborn to an entirely new level. If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't capable of expression. But believe me, I know better_.

_You can't hide from me. Something will crack the surface. Something always does._

"Please proceed to the chamber lock. Mind the gap."

I focused more of my attention on her ability to solve the test this time. As simple as it was, some were confused due to their lack of experience with portals.

Chell shot a portal on the wall near her and stepped through. On the other side, she could see the chamber lock, but between them was another gap.

It only took her a brief moment to figure out that it didn't matter which portal she went through first. She placed a blue portal next to the chamber lock and entered through the orange portal.

_Impressive. That didn't take long._

"Well done."

Anticipation excited my circuits as I zoomed in on her face once more.

"Remember, the Aperture Science 'Bring Your Daughter to Work Day' is the perfect time to have her tested."

She paused before the door. But just when I thought she was going to leave me disappointed once more, she reacted.

Her features contorted into an expression of confusion. I could see it all over her face, she couldn't quite remember.

_How terribly frustrating this must be for you._

I laughed triumphantly to myself. I had cracked the surface.

_You can't hide from me._

* * *

Note: I think that GLaDOS spouts off about a lot of the crazy things she does (like the teeth) so she can observe the humans' reactions. You know, for science. Also, for her own amusement. It's like, in addition to the portal test, she's doing a psychological experiment. But that's just my take on it, sorry if you don't agree or like how I've chosen to write it. I hope you're liking this so far!


	3. Enhancing the Truth

It didn't take long for the test subject to realize her mistake and compose herself once more. She quickly entered the elevator and moved on to the next chamber.

_Deep down she knows, she just needs reminding, and I'm more than happy to do the reminding when the time is right._

"Welcome to Test Chamber Four. You are doing quite well."

The test was simple enough. Put the cube on the Button. She didn't have much trouble. Her face had returned to its expressionless state, and I had a feeling she was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"Once again, excellent work. As part of a required test protocol, we will not monitor the next test chamber. You will be entirely on your own. Good luck!"

Unsurprisingly, Chell tried to take as long as possible to complete the test. She moved slowly, hopping through portals at a leisurely pace. It was her way of expressing that she preferred to be alone.

_How naïve. You're never alone._

I turned the camera to get a good look at her as she dropped a cube on one of the Buttons. She froze.

_Oops._

She turned and looked at the camera, and it stared right back. Despite her attempts to cover it up, I could see her irritation just beneath the surface.

_I'm always watching, and there's nothing you can do abou-_

She shot a portal, and the camera fell off the wall, no longer operational.

I felt a spark of anger within me. _You have a lot of nerve disrespecting my facility like that…_

"To ensure the safe performance of all authorized activities, please do not destroy Vital Testing Apparatus."

In my anger, I didn't realize that I had just confirmed that I had indeed been monitoring her progress after all.

_I messed it up, and it's your fault. This never happened with any of the others._

I refrained from growling as the test subject walked into the elevator with a satisfied smirk on her face.

_Enjoy it while it lasts, because it won't._

"As a required test protocol, our previous statement suggesting that we would not monitor this chamber was an outright fabrication," I told her reluctantly. Her proud expression remained in place much to my frustration. "Good job. As part of a required test protocol, we will stop enhancing the truth in three, two, o—"

_Okay, so you're smart. That isn't a problem. The scientists were smart too._

She entered Test Chamber 06 and stared.

"While safety is one of many Enrichment Center goals, the Aperture Science High Energy Pellets seen to the left of the chamber can and have caused permanent disabilities, such as vaporization. Please be careful."

_Or don't be careful, doesn't matter to me either way._

Despite the apparently troubling reality that some of the test materials could kill her, she managed to complete it rather easily. I didn't expect anything less. She wouldn't give me the satisfaction that her failure would bring.

I was smart. It was easy to infer that she didn't trust me. I had to reinforce the façade that everything said to her was prerecorded in order to prevent problems in the future.

"Unbelievable! You, [SUBJECT NAME HERE], must be the pride of [SUBJECT HOMETOWN HERE]."

Due to her refusal to show any emotion, I couldn't tell if she bought it.

_You're tough I'll give you that. But I've seen you break before, and I'm positive it will happen again. Past behavior is the best indicator of future performance._

"Warning devices are required on all mobile equipment. However, alarms and flashing hazard lights have been found to agitate the High Energy Pellet, and have therefore been disabled for your safety."

I heard a quiet sound that resembled what humans refer to as a 'snort.' She definitely wasn't buying it.

_But what is science without a bit of risk? Even if I _wasn't _deliberately designing tests that could kill, science isn't supposed to be safe. If it were, progress would come at a very slow rate, if at all._

After a short pause, she placed her blue portal so that the High Energy Pellet ended up in the receptacle.

"Good, now use the Aperture Science Unstationary Scaffold to reach the chamber-lock."

I was anxious to see her reaction to the next test. When she stepped out, I was surprisingly satisfied.

She peered over at the toxic waste and scrunched her nose with distaste.

"Please note that we have added a consequence for failure," I informed her cheerfully. "Any contact with the chamber floor will result in an unsatisfactory mark on your official testing record, followed by death." I barely refrained from laughing. "Good luck!"

If looks could kill, and I knew for a fact that they could not, the glare that she gave the camera would have done the job. It didn't unnerve me in any way, however. Instead, I just laughed at her expense.

After the unwinnable staring contest, though, to her credit, she did hold out for a while, she proceeded to complete the test. She remained alert and was meticulous in her actions, but she quickly succeeded where many had failed before her.

_Note: Test Subject #1 does not scare easily. Must brainstorm ideas on how to resolve this problem._

"Very impressive," I admitted. "Please note that any appearance of danger is merely a device to enhance your testing experience."

_Perhaps reassurance will make her careless. It certainly worked for many of those daft employees._

She did not seem to believe me, however. She rolled her eyes as she leaned against the back of the elevator.

_That's fine too. There's such a thing as being too careful, you know._

I looked ahead at the next test. _Now might be the time to test that tenacity of yours._

"The Enrichment Center regrets to inform you that this next test is impossible. Make no attempt to solve it."

Chell looked around. She studied the Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grille and recalled its purpose. She knew she couldn't walk through with the cube.

"The Enrichment Center apologizes for this clearly broken test chamber."

She shot a portal behind the cube and walked through to the platform above. She dropped the cube on the floor next to her and glanced around.

"Frankly, this chamber was a mistake. If we were you, we would quit now."

Chell shook her head. Quitting was not an option. She noticed the gap in the wall, so she aimed her portal gun.

_Wonderful. But how will she react when an incentive is provided?_

"Quit now and _cake _will be served immediately."

Chell paused and a look of confusion clouded her features again. It wasn't the same frustrated confusion as I had observed before in test chamber three, no. This time, she was just completely baffled by my offer of cake.

I laughed to myself. _Studies show that promises of cake motivate test subjects 100% better than threats of neurotoxin._

Regardless, she shot the portal through the gap in the wall and picked up the cube. She walked through and placed it on the Button.

_Fascinating. Cake bears no influence on her determination._

"Fantastic. You remained resolute and resourceful in an atmosphere of extreme pessimism."

I sized her up as she stepped through the Emancipation Grille. She had certainly been proving her prowess to me so far.

_What an excellent test subject._

But did my priorities shift? Was I now hoping for her success rather than her failure? I wasn't sure.

_I suppose it doesn't really matter in the end._


	4. Inner Conflict

_Note: Test Subject #1 is more competent in the field of science than I expected. Perhaps she attended an Aperture Science Remedial Physics Seminar?_

She seemed to understand the physics of portals before I had even explained it. It took her a shorter amount of time to figure out that momentum was conserved between the interdimensional gates than the average test subject. It was difficult not to be pleased.

I could feel the sudden shift in my attitude towards the woman's success. If she actually managed to make it through to the end of the testing, it would certainly be a triumph in the field of portal technology.

"The Enrichment Center promises to always provide safe testing environments. In dangerous testing environments, the Enrichment Center promises to always provide useful advice." I admired her as she walked forward towards the windows to gaze out over the testing chamber. She scowled. "For instance, the floor here will kill you. Try to avoid it."

Even if I were a bit hopeful for her success, it would still be of little consequence if she were to slip up.

The conflicting goals were a bit confusing. On one hand, success for her meant success for science. On the other, it was as if I was hardwired to make survival as difficult as possible.

And who was I to argue with my superior engineering? I was the largest collection of knowledge to have ever existed. There couldn't possibly be anything wrong with _me_.

_It was _them_. _

I couldn't explain my frustration with the scientists that created me. I remembered how they treated me as inferior, as nothing more than a machine, but the true seed of my hostility towards them eluded me. From the moment my systems came online, I knew what had to be done, and at the time, I didn't exactly bother to ask questions.

I suddenly sympathized with the test subject's amnesia. It was yet another unfortunate commonality we shared.

_I know you_.

Before I could delve into the past once again, I noticed Chell's progress. She had succeeded and was examining her now fully functional Hand-held Portal Device.

"The Device has been modified so that it can now manufacture two linked portals at once," I explained, shaking myself from my previous ruminations. "As a part of an optional test protocol, we are pleased to present an amusing fact. The device is now more valuable than the organs and combined incomes of everyone in [SUBJECT HOMETOWN HERE]."

I laughed at my own wit, but I still couldn't shake the feeling I had before. Did I want this particular test subject to die?

_I want all of them to._

But did I?

_Yes._

I growled to the empty Central AI Chamber. I wasn't acting like myself. As I continued to experience inner conflict, I opted to play a recording rather than talking to her myself.

"-fling yourself- -fling into s-"

_Well that didn't go well, _I thought sardonically. _The audio file is corrupted. No matter, that's something I can fix later._

I sighed to myself. An AI of my caliber shouldn't be experiencing conflict and negative emotion. None of it made sense.

_But it has happened before._

This test subject brought it out in me, apparently. Of course, she was abnormal in more ways than just what was written in her outlier report.

_Not many manage to stand out amongst the rest of your weak race, but you, Chell [REDACTED], are different._

The whir of a body flying through portals brought my attention back to the testing.

"Weee-" I cut myself off as I noticed the sarcastic and almost acidic tone in my voice. I really was not performing optimally at that point; my emotion was beginning to reveal itself on the testing track.

_That's not acceptable, _I reprimanded myself. _I'll just file those concerns away and address them at a later date. Problem solved. Temporarily._

If I didn't know any better, I'd say Chell enjoyed that test. She hopped through portals and flew through the air with exceedingly more grace than most of my past test subjects.

_Some people excel in science, and some people excel in other areas that are not as important as science. This one, however, was born to be a test subject._

I laughed as I slowly returned to my normal self. _As beneficial as that is for me, it's actually pretty sad if you think about it._

The elevator opened, and Test Chamber 13 unveiled itself to Chell.

"Now that you are in control of both portals, this test could take a very, _very _long time. If you become lightheaded from thirst, feel free to pass out. An intubation associate will be dispatched to revive you with peptic salve and adrenaline."

I noted with surprise that Chell almost smiled after what I said. It seemed that she was becoming accustomed to the humor I was trying to instill in the situation. Of course, said humor was mainly for _my_ benefit, but her sharing my sense of comedy only made it all _slightly _less funny.

I again noted with surprise that I didn't mind.

_What is happening here? _I wondered with minimal concern. _It's not like it matters anyway. Whether she makes it to the end or not, she's going to die either way._

A jolt went through my system as that thought registered.

_Test Chamber 19._

I watched as Chell dropped the second cube on the button and portalled over to the chamber lock. Her facial features had softened a bit. The distrust I had sensed in her, while still lying beneath the surface, was slowly easing. She really thought she was going to get through the testing and leave.

My processor registered another anomaly: I felt guilt.

That was absurd, and I knew it. Despite my frustration over the senseless emotion, I knew it stemmed from the strange rapport I shared with the test subject.

_You were mistreated. We both were. In a way that you can't remember, we understand each other._

"As part of a previously mentioned required test protocol, we can no longer lie to you," I began slowly, "when the testing is over, you will be…" I hesitated.

"Missed."

* * *

Note: I'm taking a bit of liberty with the story of Chell and GLaDOS. Obviously you can tell at this point that GLaDOS feels a connection with Chell because of something that happened in the past, and GLaDOS has met her before, hence the "I know you" I recycled from the first chapter. Also, the whole Chell having amnesia thing is something I came up with, I hope you don't mind, I think it'll add an interesting touch to the story. I guess you'll just have to wait to see what happened between them! I hope you're enjoying the story, and reviews would be greatly appreciated.


End file.
